…seeks to charge him for fertiliser “theft”
Mohloai Mpesi
THE Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) says it is going to charge Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) Member of Parliament for Peka and prominent businessman, Mohopoli Monokoane, for theft of government fertilisers meant for poor farmers.
The anti–corruption body had planned to drag Mr Monokoane to court yesterday.
However, the anticipated court appearance has been deferred to an unspecified date.
The DCEO spokesperson, ‘Matlhokomelo Senoko, informed this publication yesterday that they were “finalising a few things” and that Mr Monokoane would be brought before a magistrate soon.
Mr Monokoane on the other hand appeared puzzled that the DCEO was planning to charge him. He said he was unaware of any developments as he had never been summoned by the DCEO.
“No, I have not received any call from the DCEO, I am learning this from you for the first time. The last time they talked to me about these issues was when I last spoke to you (in July this year),” Mr Monokoane said.
Instead, he accused the DCEO of coercing his Hippo Transport employee to implicate him by saying he had ordered them (employees) to offload some of the fertilisers in question at his home in Peka.
“They have instead called my staff member and tried to coerce him to implicate me by signing a statement they (DCEO) wrote,” Mr Monokoane said.
A Hippo staff member, Lebohang Mathibela, also told the Lesotho Times yesterday that he was summoned to the DCEO’s new premises near Sparrows in Maseru last month, where attempts were made to get him to implicate his boss.
Mr Mathibela said the DCEO endeavoured to have him snitch Mr Monokoane when he was summoned by a DCEO officer named Mr Likotsi on 11 September 2024. Mr Likotsi had allegedly tried to coerce him to claim that Ms Monokoane had ordered him to divert fertilisers meant for the ministry’s warehouse to the businessman’s private premises in Maputsoe as part of the theft plan.
Mr Likotsi had then written a statement which he wanted him to sign. Mr Mathibela said he refused because the statement did not accord with what he had said.
